OTTAWA, March 18, 2014 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to congratulate the Canadian Paralympic Team for its many accomplishments at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Games, earning an exceptional 16 medals - 7 gold, 2 silver and 7 bronze.
"Canadians were riveted by the remarkable and inspirational performances of our Paralympic athletes during a thrilling nine days of competition," said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "Each hometown should also be extremely proud of these achievements as they supported the athletes through years of dedication and training as they realized their dreams."
The Mint is pleased to announce that a 2014 Lucky Loonie displayed in a special commemorative frame will be sent to each medalist's hometown* later this week to highlight their commitment to the athletes. This special keepsake will also serve as a reminder of the world-class performances delivered during the Paralympic Winter Games.
2014 Lucky Loonies will be sent to the following hometowns:
| Charlottetown, PE: | Mark Arendz - Silver1 and Bronze2 | Biathlon: 7.5km Standing1 and 12.5km Standing2 - Men |
| Toronto, ON: | Chris Williamson - Bronze | Para-Alpine Skiing: Slalom - Visually Impaired - Men |
| Sault-Ste Marie, ON: | Mac Marcoux - Gold1 and Bronze2,3 | Para-Alpine Skiing: Giant Slalom - Visually Impaired1; Downhill - Visually Impaired2; and Super G - Visually Impaired3 - Men |
| Canmore, AB: | Brian McKeever - Gold | Para-Nordic Skiing: 1km Sprint Visually Impaired; 10km Visually Impaired; and 20km Visually Impaired - Men |
| Chris Klebl - Gold | Para-Nordic Skiing: 10km Sitting - Men | |
| Kimberley, BC: | Josh Dueck - Gold1 and Silver2 | Para-Alpine Skiing - Super Combined - Sitting1 and Downhill - Sitting2 - Men |
| Rossland, BC: | Kimberly Joines - Bronze | Para-Alpine Skiing: Slalom - Sitting - Women |
| Terrace, BC: | Caleb Brousseau - Bronze | Para-Alpine Skiing: Super G - Sitting - Men |
To recognize the contribution of the guides who steered our athletes with visual impairments to the podium, the Mint is also sending a framed 2014 Lucky Loonie to: Robin Fémy of Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mac Marcoux); Erik Carleton of Canmore, AB and Graham Nishikawa of Whitehorse, YK (Brian McKeever); and Nick Brush of Invermere, BC (Chris Williamson).
*For larger team event medalists, the 2014 Lucky Loonie will be sent to the following national sporting organizations:
| Canadian Curling Association (Ottawa, ON): | Team Canada - Gold | Wheelchair Curling - Mixed |
| Hockey Canada (Calgary, AB): | Team Canada - Bronze | Sledge Hockey - Men |
Five million 2014 Lucky Loonies were produced and entered circulation on January 20th. Canadians are encouraged to look for the coin in their change or visit www.mint.ca/luckyloonie.
Canadians looking for a lasting keepsake of our athletes' amazing performances in Sochi can also acquire a 99.99% pure silver collector version of the 2014 Lucky Loonie. Adorned with a full-colour logo of the Canadian Olympic Team and limited to a mintage of only 15,000 coins, the 2014 Fine Silver Lucky Loonie retails for $39.95 CAD.
About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the
minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO
9001-2008 certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the
largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of
specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an
international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and
services, visit. www.mint.ca.
Lucky Loonie images are available by visiting ftp://communications:RCM2007@ftp.mint.ca.
SOURCE Royal Canadian Mint
